State Cabinet sub-committee recommends closure of two-year-old Hassan University

A view of the Hassan University campus near Hassan.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

A view of the Hassan University campus near Hassan.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The State Cabinet sub-committee, headed by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, has decided to recommend the closure of nine new universities, including Hassan University. If the committee’s recommendation is implemented, the doors of the university will be shut within two years of its existence.

The university that came into existence on March 21, 2023, has over 31,000 students from 54 colleges in Hassan district.

T.C. Taranath, a retired professor of Botany, took charge as the first Vice-Chancellor of the university. The Hema Gangothri campus, which was earlier functioning under Mysore University, was converted into the headquarters of the new university. The campus has over 74 acres of land.

The university was established as per the recommendations of the National Knowledge Commission to take higher education to the doorstep. The State government had announced a grant of ₹2 crore. However, the amount was never released. The university managed its expenses with its resources including an affiliation fee and students’ fees, said Mr. Taranath.

The university was required for Hassan district, as the gross enrolment ratio in higher education in Hassan was as low as 15.54%, which is way below the State average of 32.8%. “The university was established by passing an amendment bill in both houses of the State assembly. Through the media, I got to know that the Cabinet sub-committee recommended the closure of universities. I don’t know about the technicalities involved in the process,” he said.

The university did not get a chance to recruit staff. The posts of teaching and non-teaching at Mysore University were allotted to the new university considering the requirement. There were 27 teaching and around 25 non-teaching staff. Apart from that, around 25 guest faculty were appointed.

The Vice-Chancellor said that the administration had made sincere efforts to improve the quality of education. It had a memorandum of understanding for academic exchange and research activities with the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management, Thanjavur, and Bridgewater State University of the U.S.

If the university is closed, the permanent staff would return to Mysore University and the campus would continue as a post-graduation centre. Even after repeated appeals from the university, the government did not grant funds. So far, the Vice-Chancellor could not get an official vehicle or an official residence on the campus, he added.